1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery terminal unit to be provided with a current sensor.
2. Detailed Description of the Related Art
The kinds and the number of electric parts of a vehicle continually increase. Accordingly, electric energy produced by a vehicle battery is exhausted more quickly, and the remaining capacity of the battery should be monitored.
A current sensor may be mounted on a battery post to detect the intensity of the current and hence to determine the extent of exhaustion of the battery. However, there is insufficient space to mount the current sensor around the battery post of the existing battery. The current sensor could be mounted on a wiring harness that is to be connected with battery post. However, a current sensor mounted on the wiring harness can be struck and broken during normal handling of the wiring harness.
The present invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object of the invention is to provide a battery terminal unit with a current sensor that can be mounted easily and that is not likely to be broken.
The invention is directed to a battery terminal assembly with a current sensor. The battery terminal assembly comprises a wire or wiring harness. A battery terminal is provided at a leading end of the wire or wiring harness and has a terminal portion configured for connection with a battery post. A holder is mounted or mountable on the wiring harness or on the battery terminal at a position spaced from the terminal portion, and a current sensor preferably is mounted later on the holder of the battery terminal assembly. The holder may be a bottomed ring.
The holder preferably is spaced from the terminal portion of the battery terminal by a distance sufficient for a tightening means of the battery terminal to be tightened so that the battery terminal can be connected to the external battery post. Therefore, the current sensor can be mounted smoothly without being hindered by the battery or structures around the battery.
The current sensor preferably is connected with the wiring harness at a connection site to a battery. Therefore, the current sensor will not be damaged while the wiring harness is being handled.
The holder preferably is substantially ring-shaped and is mounted by introducing the wire or wiring harness therethrough. The current sensor may be coupled to the holder after introducing the terminal portion of the battery terminal through the current sensor. Accordingly, the battery terminal need not be formed with a special portion for mounting the holder, and the battery terminal may have a known construction.
The battery terminal may comprise a holder mount portion extending from the terminal portion for connection with the wire or wiring harness. The holder is mounted on the holder mount portion at a position spaced from the terminal portion, and the current sensor may be coupled to the holder after introducing the terminal portion of the battery terminal through the holder.
The holder may be formed by two half-pieces that can be arranged on the wire, wiring harness or battery terminal and then fixed to each other. Alternatively, the holder may be formed by insert-molding the holder on the holder mount portion.
The current sensor is mounted onto the holder by a sensor portion with a locking means that cooperates with mating locking means of the holder.
The battery terminal preferably comprises a barrel for connection with the wire or wiring harness preferably by crimping.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.